Bio-ICT: the Heart in the Computer

Sophia Antipolis, 2 - 3 April 2009

The 2nd Edition of the ERCIM-ETSI Infinity Initiative took place on 2-3 April at ETSI in Sophia Antipolis, France.
This year, the theme of this series of advanced seminars was ‘Bio ICT-The Heart in the Computer', with a special focus on ‘Modelling and Simulation of Organs'. 

The event was run in cooperation with the European Commission and was supported by the VPH (Virtual Physiological Human) Network of Excellence, a network of which ERCIM is a core member.

Systems Biology, the new science of complexity of living systems, will herald a fundamental change in paradigm with the appearance of life models and simulation systems making possible computer assisted experiments for biological, medical and pharmaceutical research. As such, the modeling and simulation of life is one of the most promising research areas with great hopes for humanity.

Building on the success of the previous event on 'Ambient Computing', the three co-organisers welcomed experts who shared their vision of modelling and simulation of life while demonstrating how research and standards, supported by the European Commission, can benefit society and business.

With the purpose of ‘Fusing Research with Standardisation for Knowledge and Business', ERCIM and ETSI believe it is essential that standardisation be considered early in the R&D cycle in order to facilitate maximum creation and development of home and international markets for the European industry.

WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS [all presentations download area, Speakers' biographies, Agenda]

OPENING SPEECHES

• Welcoming speech
  Dr. Walter Weigel, ETSI Director-General
  
  
• ERCIM Welcome
  Prof. Keith Jeffery, ERCIM President
  
  
• EU eHealth Agenda
  Gaby Lenhart on behalf of Ilias Iakovidis, ICT for Health Unit ,
  DG Information Society and Media, European Commission

SESSION 1: MODELLING AND SIMULATION OF HUMAN HEART
Session chair: Prof. Nicholas Ayache, Research Director, INRIA  

• Modelling and Simulation of Heart
  Prof. Nicholas Ayache, Research Director, INRIA
  
  
• Virtual Physiological Human: From Global Vision to Clinical Practice
  Dr. Karl Stroetmann, Senior Associate, Empirica Communication and Technology Research
  
  
• Learning and Detecting Emergent Behavior in Networks of Cardiac
  Dr. Ezio Bartocci & Prof. Emanuela Merelli, University of Camerino

SESSION 2: SOME CHALLENGES FOR Bio ICT
Session chair: Dr. Karl Stroetmann, Senior Associate, Empirica Communication and Technology Research 

• HealthGrids: In Search for Sustainable Solutions
  Dr. Karl Stroetmann, Senior Associate, Empirica Communication and Technology Research

• The Data Deluge from Genomics and its Role in Systems Biology
  Prof. Brendan Loftus, University College Dublin

SESSION 3: STANDARDISING THE VPH
Session chair: Dr. Steven Manos, Centre for Computational Science, University College London

• Introduction of VPH Network of Excellence,  Initiative: New Environments for Predictive, Patient Specific, more Effective and Safer Healthcare 
  Dr. Vanessa Diaz, VPH NoE Coordinator, University College London

• Standardisation Effort of the VPH 
  Dr. Steven Manos, Centre for Computational Science, University College London

• Specific Standards Issue 
  Dr. Keith McCormack, Medical Physics, University of Sheffield

• The ETSI Industry Specification Group Mechanism
  Gaby Lenhart, Senior Research Officer, ETSI

SESSION 4: WHY STANDARDISATION IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY?
Session Chair: Prof. Dr. Norbert Graf, University of Saarland
 

• The Need for Standardisation from a Clinical Perspective
  Prof. Dr. Norbert Graf, University of Saarland

• The Virtual Patient Metaphor: Lessons Learned and Roads to go
  Prof. Dr Martin Hofmann-Apitius, Fraunhofer SCAI